What would happen if a scuba tank (a rigid, sealed gas cylinder) heats up?

Question

A.

The pressure exerted by the gas in the tank would increase.
B.

The size of the gas particles in the tank would increase.
C.

The number of particles in the tank would increase.
D.

The density of the gas in the tank would increase.

Answer 1

If a scuba tank (a rigid, sealed gas cylinder) heats up, the correct answer is:

A. The pressure exerted by the gas in the tank would increase.

This is based on the ideal gas law, which states that pressure is directly proportional to temperature when volume is held constant. As the temperature of the gas in the tank increases, the kinetic energy of the gas particles increases, leading to more frequent and forceful collisions with the walls of the tank, thus increasing the pressure.

The other options are not correct:

• B. The size of the gas particles in the tank would increase. (The size of the gas particles does not change with temperature; what changes is their kinetic energy.)
• C. The number of particles in the tank would increase. (The number of particles would remain constant unless gas is added or removed from the tank.)
• D. The density of the gas in the tank would increase. (Since the number of particles remains constant and the volume is constant, the density would actually not change significantly with temperature.)

So, the correct response is A.